Sunday, May 24, 2015

A Magical Ride Through Orioles History

If you are or have been a
Baltimore Orioles fan for over a half century or became one just recently, 60 Years of Orioles Magic is a must read
chronicle from the birth of the Birds through the exhilarating 2014
season.The coffee table-sized book with
tons of extraordinary vintage and color photos of virtually everybody whoever
put on an O’s uniform presents a superb accounting of all the ups and downs the
franchise has experienced since its 1954 move to Baltimore from St. Louis.

Jim Henneman, a former sports
journalist for the Baltimore News
American and Baltimore Sun for
over 50 years and who attended the first Orioles game in Baltimore in 1954,
shared his wealth of knowledge of Orioles lore throughout the 276-page book.
The best all-time Orioles pitcher, Jim Palmer, penned the introduction drawing
on his astounding photographic baseball memory that he often displays on TV citing
specifics of a game from decades past (who pitched against him, which batter he
retired with men on base, the score, etc.).

The book contains 14 chapters
that chronologically depict key “eras” over the 60 years.Enhanced by countless vivid photos—many full
page in size and of the action variety—and detailed captions, the story of the
Orioles history unfolds in what must be considered catnip for Orioles fans in
particular and baseball fans in general. There are also replica ephemera, including old-time
tickets, scorecards, posters and more among the pages.

From a description of the poor-performing
Orioles teams early on in the 1950s to the emergence of a contender and then
champion team in the 1960’s, Henneman effectively rekindles the memories of how
the team evolved from oblivion to become one of the elite squads in baseball.

He continues this journey in the
subsequent decades with the team’s peaks and valleys, which were numerous, and covering the multitude of players who wore the
orange and black, the ownership, the front office, trades—good and bad, the
various managers, the new ballpark at Camden Yards and much, much more.In particular, Henneman describes so well the
exciting “Why Not?” season of 1989 that captivated the baseball world and
Orioles fans.

Several Orioles are highlighted
in full page tributes, such as Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Doug Decinces,
Eddie Murray and the phenomenon known as Cal Ripken, Jr. especially his “iron
man” streak.

60 Years of Orioles Magic includes a feature that is absolutely wonderful and a
delight to baseball addicts.Following
each era, Henneman recounts a bunch of “Memorable Games” that were usually
significant, odd or ironic.For
instance, this section shows Hoyt Wilhlem becoming the first Orioles pitcher to
throw a no-hitter, which occurred on September 20, 1958.

Or when on June 21, 1966, Frank
Robinson hit a 451-foot blast off Luis Tiant of Cleveland that became the only
home run hit out of Memorial Stadium.On
July 27, 1973, the Orioles defeated the White Sox 17-0 for the largest shutout
victory in club history.Then there was Tippy
Martinez picking off three Toronto runners in the 9th inning of a
tie game on August 24, 1983.And more
recently, there was Robert Andino’s astounding game-winning hit on September
28, 2011 off Boston’s impervious closer Jonathan Papelbon to effectively knock
the Red Sox out of the playoffs, setting the stage for the O’s revitalization
beginning in 2012.

What I liked to have seen
included in this otherwise exemplary trip down Orioles memory lane is more
depth in describing some situations.For
example, illumination on the exploits of Earl Weaver and his numerous on-field
skirmishes with umpires and some insight into Weaver’s storied “love-hate” relationship
with star pitcher Jim Palmer would have been welcome with a photo or anecdote
or two.

The book would have been even
more nostalgic if some of the quirks the fans loved were mentioned, such as John
Denver’s iconic “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” played during the 7th
inning stretch for many years, or the fans’ screaming “O” during the National
Anthem, or a special tribute to the beloved announcer Chuck Thompson.They were part of the Orioles tradition as
well.

Moreover, since baseball and
statistics are inexorably entwined, an appendix presenting the year-to-year
performance of the team, their cumulative records versus opposing teams, or a
list of team leaders by category would have been the icing on the cake. Though
statistics are laced throughout, a separate section is warranted.

Nonetheless, 60 Years of Orioles Magic through its
extraordinary images and writing about those who wore the Orioles uniform
brings to life a history, identity and a tradition that is clearly enduring.

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This blog contains a compilation of recent articles--mostly political and local theatre reviews-- appearing in MD Theatre Guide, Baltimore OUTloud, Washington Blade, Gay Life, Outsports.com, published letters, and commentary. My letters to the editor have appeared in such publications as TIME, USA Today, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Columbia Flier/Howard County Times, City Paper (Baltimore)and Washington Blade.
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